OOOOOKKKK well it pains me to do this.... but i am looking for a new(er) car.
Reasons:
148k miles
Leaks (light) oil
Leaks (light) Antifreeze even after having my water pump replaced.
Leaks (lightish) gas because of tiny rust holes in gas tank
Sub frame is rusted pretty good (bad)
Missing an HID ballast so i have a head light out (think it happened when i replaced my tranny.... not 100
BUUUT i would like honest advice. Questions:
What should i do with my car? It has BRAND new snow tires on my stock rims that were 430 dollars. My header is pretty new. My headlights arent perfect but still werent cheap. Just replaced the Tranny 3 or 4 months ago.
And
What should i look for? I am thinking a Subaru or a VW but am not set on either one of these particularly. I want something that gets decent gas mileage because i travel 50 minutes to work(one way) and back every day. I live in central PA sooo a suby would be an abvious nice thing to have for the AWD. I would also like to have something with a better aftermarket selection than my sunfire.. which shouldnt be too hard. haha. I am probably going to put 15-20% down and want something around $6-8k because i could afford more but i plan on going to college in the fall and wont be able to put in as much over time when needed.
Thanks a lot guy.
Just an opinion from someone who sold a J and looked for another car, and ended back up with another one...
I don't know much about them, but that VW looks really nice. However, I have always heard how expensive parts are, especially compared to a J-body. if you are taking it 50 miles to work and putting a lot of miles on it quickly it would be nice to have something with lower miles and better reliability, but you might check to see since they both have over 100k, which is gonna be cheaper to repair because with 100k on the VW, that will be 120-130k before you know it and probably need some sort or repairs.
Also, if you are going to sell the Sunfire to get something else, you will want to fix everything you can in order to get a decent return in your money. By the time you get all the issues fixed, you probably have something nice enough to drive that is paid off, then you can start doing some more mods if you are ready for something new. Maybe Eco-swap it and boost it and upgrade the suspension and you will be better off then a GTI anyways.
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My friend has a 03 GTI 1.8T, only issue he has had with it is a waterpump and a bad coil pack. He has had the car for 4 years now and put 60K on it. The factory waterpumps are made with plastic impellars which fall apart. There are a couple companies that make metal ones now. The coil pack issue VW just recalled the cars that don't have the revised coil packs.
My friend loves his VW's he has the 03 GTI 1.8T 5spd, had a 99.5 Jetta VR6, and his wife has a 03 Jetta TDI.
2009 Ford Mustang V6
I think I'd opt for a Subaru.
What do you think your car is worth? With the problems you listed it doesn't sound like it's worth much, or worth putting a bunch of time or money fixing the problems.... If you want to keep the snow tires just throw some junkyard wheels/tires on it and sell it.
Karnage- That is a very good point. It IS European and would be higher costs to maintain. Like i said that is a little higher mileage than i would like but that was just me taking a quick scan through the local classifieds.
GXP- Thanks for the info man because i would be looking at early 2000s and my dads one fried has an 09 Passat that had quite a few issues...
Rob- I would LOVE to find an older Suby but the local selection is limited at the moment. And that is why i want to get suggestions on what i should do with my car because to be honest i dont think it is worth fixing the issues. The Sub Frame is REALLY rusty which would be expensive to fix even if i could find someone to take the responsibility in the first place. The gas tank would have to have EVERYTHING replaced.
Forgot.. its leaking clutch fluid(aka brake fluid) somewhere too. lol.
I could TRY to sell it cheap($1-1.5k) to a private party OR try to part it out is what i am thinking... but i work so damn much i dont have much time to do anything. And i work 2nd shift (4-12:30). My fender is a little rusted because i bumped into a guard rail but i have a pair of ricey fiberglass fenders i ended up thinking better to put on. BUT someone around here would love them going along with the car. hahahaha.
My opinion, if you're deciding between VW & Subaru, go Subaru. I have a '99 Outback & a 2005 Legacy GT, my brother has a 1990 Cabriolet & a 2005 Jetta. He's always borrowing our code reader. The Jetta IMO is junk. They've had it maybe 2 years & it's had all kinds of problems like the cat, oxygen sensors, speakers, door locks, it's a mess. Everyone I know with a VW is always having problems, water pumps seem to be the trend lately. A Subaru will get you through the snow. As long as you don't get a turbo, you'll get descent gas mileage too. Our Outback averages 24mpg no matter what - empty or loaded up, flat land or mountains, anything. If I was you, I'd get something reliable to get you through school & don't bother modding at that time. If you still have an itch to do so, wait until you're out of school.
Not sure how far you want to go, but I'd branch out if you're looking for a Subaru to get what you want. When I was shopping, I looked from NY to Virginia. I test drove one in Maryland. I'm in Lancaster, PA, don't remember where you are, so I don't know how far of a drive it is to my area, but there are a few Subarus in your price range by me. How about this one?
http://lancaster.craigslist.org/cto/2176714305.html
That thing is awesome.... the only thing i dont like about it is that it is an automatic and i am pretty set on a manual. but i will def. take your advice and look further away. I will probably be shopping around pittsburgh since i am only about 2-2 1/2 hours away.
And I live in Central PA, around Altoona.
I need to go to the bank and see about getting a loan and stuff.... i am new to all this soooo i dont even know where to start. I havent had a car payment or a loan yet in my life. I am sure i will need a co signer and stuff so that means i have to try to talk my grandfather into co-signing. haha.
I just did a quick insurance quote through my current insurance company and for a 03 Gti it would be about 243 a month..... ouch.
Make sure the timing belt, tensioner, and water pump are already done on that GTI it's due at 105K.
If you get a chance, take it to a small shop, bring a flashlight and pay em $20 to have them lift it and check it out.
Here's what I'd look for....
-rear springs rot where they sit in the perch, make sure the bottom coil hasn't snapped off yet
-check the e-brake cables under the car for swelling
-fuel filter has crap on the quick release from the factory, if it's still there it hasn't been really well maintained
-with the front wheels off the ground you basically do a push up with the wheel, you'll have some movement normally, if it moves and inch and makes noise the strut mounts are bad
-the midmufler bracket will be rusted off, if you wiggle the exhaust it clanks and bangs, just throw a hose clamp around it Jolson the pipe to the bracket and it's fine but if it's broke talk him down on price.
-are the belly pans still there, one on each side and a center on.
-check brakes and tires, inside pads always wear faster and check the inside of the front rotors for condition
-on the drivers side of the head take the engine covers off and there's a rubber breather y pipe on the valve cover pinch it, if it feels like play-doh it's bad
-check where that y pipe connects to the plastic pipe and make such it's not broken where they connect
- look down between the intake manifold runners and there is a plastic piece that comes straight up by the oil coller and then curves right make sure it's not wet with oil residue
-check the plastic dipstick tube
-on the drivers aide of the head make sure the body of the coolant temp sensor is green not black
-check the valve cover and the cam adjuster seal (drivers side of the head) for oil leaks, slight seapage is ok
-opennthe fuse block ontop of the battery and make sure it's not burnt or melted
-turn the A/C on and make sure the radiator fan kicks on
-check the light in the HVAC panel
- check the glovebox and make sure it's not broken
-open the doors one at a time and make sure the interior light comes on, if it doesn't the latch is bad
-make sure the car beeps when you lock it
-check the sunroof
-make sure the master window switch works in all positions, auto up and down and non auto up and down
-open the windows half way and give them a little tug upwards, obviously the glass shouldn't slide out of the regulator
It WILL have at least something wrong with it that I listed, don't expect it to be all good. If you deciede you want it PM me the vin and I'll run it for recalls.
-check radio reception
Thanks a lot Dark Stars. I will def take a look for some of this stuff. I need to see if i could afford the car with gas on how much i make with minumum overtime. I need to talk to an insurance agent to see what it would be for minumum requirments for someone who is still paying on the car.
Anyone else have any suggestions for any other types of cars? I would look into a Cobalt.... but EVERYONE is getting cobalts right now and their appeal is wearing on me. And i really don't want another Jbody for the simple fact i want something new.
Keep in mind VW's need premium
And VW's (as wells as audi's) have a bad habit of burning to the ground in your driveway due to electrical fire. And it seems like the auto parts store is always shipping axles out for GTi's. If you already bought hp-tuners I'd suggest something GM, a 4th gen f-body would be nice. With the 6-speed the SS should be good for 24-26 mpg, even more with a good tune. My friend Mike OD is getting 27-28 off his and he has basically the best fuel mileage tune you can run with lean cruise tuning enabled among other things. Besides that theres not really anything in the "newer category that really stands out as being good". The bmw e30 was one of the best cars ever designed and they're running strong. Only issue is that a 30 year old car up this way is rusted out and any one you buy should get an engine rebuild and all new suspension bits then be good for another 300k miles. With a fit and finish that will blow away an GM you can buy right off the lot (yes 30 year old car still have a better fit and finish than GM cars).
1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
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Though peaking your price range I'd pay the negative equity out of pocket and let go for below KBB to save taking trade-in value on my SS right now. If you want to pursue it is listed in the mid-east forum, and OBO is noted. Does have snow-tires on it at this moment too.
As much as its a bad idea, I say o for a GTi. I love these cars. Darkstars has a laundry list of faults there, but I'd still own one.
I test drove a Mk V and my only complaint was that the brakes are very odd. They feel very vague with light pedal pressure, almost like they were failing, but step just a bit harder and they bite like crazy and you slow down in a good hurry. The Corolla has much better brake feel, and so did my old cav. The one great thing I noticed is that everyone loves you in a GTi. People would wave me in to lanes I needed even though the traffic was awful that day. Others would honk and give thumbs up.
2010 Honda Fit LX
Ill check it out Joe.
And Tony there is just something about a VW in general let alone a GTi that i just fall in love with. It sounds weird but when i first got my sunfire i literally FELL in love with it. Like every time i stepped out my door and started walking towards it i would smile. BUUUUT a Cobalt SS would be killer... lmfao... there are a ton of Cobalts but not many SS' around here.
OOOOK wellllllll i am loving Joe's car. I just did an insurance check on it and it would be 179 a month with basic everything except 1000 dollar deductibles on Collision and Comprehensive. Have to see what it would look like for a loan payment.
just don't kill it please.
Haha if i buy it it is mine and no longer Joe's... And that is just IF.
Monday im going to see what i need for a loan.
Another wheel bearing is now going out in my Sunfire.... gah.... lol.
Good Luck Garrett, I think Joe's car would be a great car for you to get into. He has always taken care of his stuff, plus the repairs and stuff I was talking about earlier in the thread would be less of a concern with those miles and a cheaper car to fix. I hope it works out.
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